With its sparking coast, exotic cities and desert dunes, Morocco is a diverse and exciting country that feels a world away from Europe. Low cost airlines have transformed it into an easily accessible destination and the journey to Marrakech takes only three and a half hours. Morocco is consequently one of the best holiday destinations outside of Europe, providing a far-from-home feeling and plenty of adventure without breaking the bank.

The Markets of Marrakech

One of Morocco’s most appealing qualities is its magical city life, horses and carts still common in the streets, minarets and domes decorating the skyline. Most flights arrive in Marrakech, where visitors should stay at least a couple of days to experience this enchanting city, parts of which have changed little over hundreds of years. Exploring the markets is a treat not to be missed. Mountains of multi-coloured spices are sold between silversmiths and treasure-trove antique stalls.

White houses in Chefchaouen in Morocco

Leather goods, jewellery and handmade musical instruments are also abundant, and haggling for souvenirs is a fun part of the Moroccan shopping experience. At night, the main square is filled with snake charmers, story tellers and acrobats. Moroccan dining is world class, tagines of couscous, steaming vegetables and fresh fish served in lantern-lit restaurants around the square. Restaurant interiors add to the magic, terracotta, tile work and silver upholding traditional Arabic design. The Medieval city of Fes is also a highlight, as is the charming city of Chefchaouen, where the traditional hillside houses are all painted white.

A trip to the Sahara is an experience of a lifetime and guided tours on camel back are offered throughout the capital. On a two day trip, groups are led into the desert where large tents and a campfire are set up for the night. No matter what you are told about the clearness of the night sky in the Sahara, you will still be humbled and astounded when the stars come out, so many and so bright that they light up the desert. Sleeping on the sand is magical, guides pointing out constellations and shooting stars after supper. The stars are rivalled only by the morning sun, rising like a golden orb over the rolling dunes.

Camel guided tours in the Sahara

Morocco’s coastal destinations are the perfect place to relax and soak up the sun. Bohemian Essaouira is a famed location amongst musicians and artists, past residents including Jimi Hendrix and Bob Marley. Cobbled streets are alive with colour, North African rhythms and art pouring from cavernous shops. Surfing is a popular pursuit and the town has a laid-back vibe to match. For a classic beach experience Agadir is the destination of choice. A sun-seekers paradise, pristine sandy beaches hem the turquoise waters of the Atlantic. Resorts offer first class accommodation and family friendly activities including water sports and sightseeing.

Essaouira in Morocco

With breath-taking hiking trails in the high Atlas Mountains and world class skiing to boot, Morocco has all the components to make it one of the best holiday destinations in the world.

Many thanks for this guest post from Tom Volpe from Heading There, a guide written by travellers, for travellers

More holiday ideas in North Africa

Seagulls and salt spray in Essaouira – Morocco
Travelling in Egypt – Alexandria, Marsa Matrouh and Siwa
6 misconceptions I had about Alexandria – in Egypt

Photo credits: Essaouira by Primeroz,  Chefchaouen by Fulvio’s photos. Other photos by Tom Volpe.

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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If you’re looking for a holiday in the sun in Cabo San Lucas, this guest article will give you ideas on the beach and accommodation options you’ll find in this popular Mexican Resort.

Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas

On Medano Beach, lazy waves quietly roll onto the shore, washing over the feet of children trying to build a sand castle. Parents relax nearby, keeping a watchful eye on their children while enjoying the sight of boats sailing past one of Mexico’s most comfortable and friendly beaches. Just to complete the holiday experience, vendors pass by offering anything from temporary tattoos and jewelry to snacks and beach supplies to anyone who needs them. Restaurants and beach clubs like Billygan’s Island and The Office are popular with people passing by and looking for refreshments.

Medano beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Whether you’re looking to relax in the sun, head out onto the water, or just settle down and watch people pass by, Medano Beach in Cabo San Lucas will probably meet your every need. It even has boats, jet skis, and other equipment available from shacks out on the water and luxury vacation rentals. Medano Beach is a bit of a nonstop party, but if that’s not what you’re looking for then try…

Lover’s Beach and Divorce beach

Lover’s Beach and Divorce Beach are more serene locations that can be accessed by Water Taxi (or similar transportation), and they’re located a little further away from the main entertainment areas in downtown Cabo. For a very reasonable fee, it’s easy to hire somebody who will take you out to the area, as well as show you which areas are safe for swimming and diving; you might even be able to do it yourself if you have access to rental equipment and know where to go.

Lover's beach in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Once you’ve had your fill of excitement, Cabo San Lucas villas, hotels, and resorts are all options for sleeping after a day out having fun, but not all bedrooms were created equal. A traditional hotel is probably your best bet if all you really want to do is swim, relax on the beach, and perhaps go shopping in downtown Cabo; it’s inexpensive and will get the job done.

Casa Theodore, a luxury villa in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Accommodation options in Cabo San Lucas

However, with everything from jet skis and kayaks to golf courses by designer Jack Nicklaus available in the region, you’ll probably end up missing out on a lot of things to do if the sun is all you’re looking for. If you’re going all the way to Cabo for a trip, you may as well do it right. The most effective way to get access to things in Cabo is to stay at a resort; places like Palmilla Resort offer fine dining, access to spas and recreation, effective concierge services, and other features that can help you get the best deals on activities in the region. The initial price tag may be higher than a hotel, but if you plan properly, you might end up saving a lot of money you might otherwise have spend on activities not connected to a resort. You should compare services, though, since different resorts offer different things.

From shopping to surfing and everything in-between, there’s no place in Mexico like Cabo San Lucas for a truly tropical vacation.

My thanks for this sponsored article to Lacure Villas who offer holiday villas in Cabo San Lucas and many other worldwide destinations.

More holidays in the sun

Diving and party time – a budget getaway in Cancun, Mexico
Swimming, Surfing and Snorkeling – best beaches in the Dominican Republic
Our top 5 sights on Awesome Aruba

Photo Credits: Medano Beach by Price Travel, Lover’s Beach by Minnemom,

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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I think it’s natural to forget about the beautiful world we live in. With all the amazing wonders of modern day technology, who cares how green the grass is, or how tall our trees stand or the colors of the birds that fly above or the wonders of the sea creatures that swim in the oceans. But one of the things about Oahu is not just the great many Oahu hotels that are in close proximity to the city center, but the amazing places you can visit, both natural and man-made, that will inspire even the cynics of this world. Take a trip to my three favorite Hawaiian look out points and I promise you, you’ll be inspired by the beauty and serenity of this world.

Diamond Head's View of Honolulu

Waikiki’s Most Beautiful Gem: Diamond Head

As the single most recognizable attraction in all of Oahu, Diamond Head is the perfect place for you capture a post-card worthy photo. Defining the island skyline for over 200,000 years, this 762 foot tall extinct volcano beckons to hundreds of thousands of travelers every year. And the best view of the island is offered atop the summit of this unique beauty, lending you a panoramic picturesque view of the island not available anywhere else. But please beware, the hike to the top is not an easy one by any means, so make sure you’re prepared with plenty of water, comfortable walking shoes and sun protection.

Remember, Remember This Day in December: Pearl Harbor Memorial

Not necessarily a “look-out” point in the traditional sense of the word, but an eye opening experience nonetheless. As the only naval base in the US designated as a National Historical Landmark, a tour of Pearl Harbor gives visitors the opportunity to visit the USS Arizona Memorial to learn about the historic attack and pay respects to the brave soldiers who lost their lives on December 7, 1941. Nothing will prepare you for the somber mood aboard the boat shuttle that will take you to the final resting place for many of the ship’s crew but at the same time, nothing will be more inspiring than to see the shrine built to commemorate the lives of these brave soldiers.

USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor in Honolulu

Under the Sea is Where You’ll Want to Be: Snorkeling at Hanauma Bay

If you think you’ve seen everything there is to see on land, you should consider taking your next adventure under the sea. Find yourself inspired when you witness first-hand the colorful corals that populate the ocean floor, watch the bright yellow tang swimming beside rainbow runners, and see and swim along with the state fish of Hawaii: the humuhumunukunukuapuaa.

Humuhumunukunuku fish

Hanauma Bay is known for their clear waters with a rich marine life that is the perfect place for beginner snorkelers. If you want something a little more advanced, Oahu has plenty of other beaches that have calm and clear waters for you to explore as well. But I can guarantee that the vivid colors you’ll see here will be unlike anything you’ve ever seen before.

A hike to Diamond Head, a day of remembrance at Pearl Harbor and an underwater adventure at Hanauma Bay are all beautiful ways you can explore the beautiful island of Oahu. I hope that with these three adventures, you’ll be inspired to seek out the other beauties of Hawaii, since there are just so many of them. Picking only three was a difficult task, but I hope that reading my short list will inspire a hundred other adventures. So go forth my friends and find other exciting Hawaiian adventures! Mahalo and aloha.

My thanks for this sponsored post to Aqua Resorts – for boutique and budget-friendly hotels and resorts in Waikiki, Oahu and Hononlulu

Photo credits: Diamond Head by RaSchi, Pearl Harbor Memorial by wallyg, Humuhumunukunuku apua’a by pQbon

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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Now it’s December and Christmas is in sight, where better to do your holiday shopping than NYC! It’s fair to say that New York City is one of the best places in the world to do your Christmas shopping and whether you plan to take a flight to New York and go in December or at some other point in the year you need to know what’s what in each of the different shopping districts. So here’s a brief guide to some of the ultimate shopping locations Manhattan has to offer.

As New York City offers everything from boutiques to markets to department stores there certainly is something to satisfy all shoppers’ cravings and ensure that at the end of each day everyone leaves laden with bags, light of pocket and satisfied that they have found the ultimate gift!

Manhattan Bridge in New York

Soho, Lower East Side & Little Italy

Here you may feel a little overwhelmed by the mix of different cultures on offer here and there is everything from Italian trattorias to Jewish delicatessens to ensure that your taste buds are firmly satisfied before you begin your days shopping. Packed full of little thrift shops, vintage clothing stores, markets, coffee shops, bookshops and amazingly cheap bars you will get fantastic value for money here when searching for that perfect gift.

Katz's Deli in New York

If you are looking for something truly amazing then be sure to check out the Hester Street Fair on the weekends for local foods, special events and lots of vintage clothing and handbags. There is even an amazing vintage exchange/cocktail bar here in the form of ‘The Dressing Room’.

Midtown

This is the centre of Manhattan and with any centre generally comes tourists and midtown is no exception. However, do not let this put you off as this is home to some amazing places including Times Square, the Empire State building and the Rockerfeller Centre so there is much to see and do here if you want a break from shopping or fancy seeing some of the amazing sights that New York City has to offer.

If shopping is your main objective then here you will find Macy’s, Sak’s, Tiffany’s and numerous other well known department stores packed full of gifts and it is quite possible to complete all of your Christmas shopping in just one shop but then what is the fun in that?

Macy's in New York

Chelsea & Meatpacking District

This area feels a little more cobbled together with a mixture of small streets, historic landmarks and warehouses all blending well together to give an amazing ambience that cannot be matched anywhere else in the city. There is a totally unique vibe here and you will find art galleries, bars, restaurants, clubs and much more as well as a thriving LGBT community.

Shopping here is best done in the Chelsea Market if you are looking for delightful architecture and fantastic food & there is even a Bloomingdale’s nearby (Upper East Side) for all your ultimate New York purchases.

Chelsea Market in New York

Upper East Side

This is probably the wealthiest part of Manhattan and boy does it show. This area feels a little more family orientated with the town houses and older mansions adding a classic New York feel to the area. The ultimate New York City shopping experiences are here in the form of Barney’s and Bloomingdale’s both of which are filled from wall to wall with amazing gifts, treats and much much more! The festive displays here are wonderful and will really help to get you in to the Christmas spirit! Madison Avenue is jam packed full of designer labels and even if you can’t afford these now what harm is a little bit of window shopping?

Upper West Side

Full of wonderful culture the Upper West Side is a place to visit for some more relaxed shopping and escape some of the crowds that can be found in some of the busier tourist areas.

If you are looking to take a break from shopping and soak up some atmosphere then you will find lots of artists here as well as museums and theatres including the Avery Fish Hall, home to the New York Philharmonic. If you are looking for somewhere lovely to walk then you will be satisfied here with West End Avenue and Riverside Drive both being wonderful streets to walk down. The majority of shops here are boutiques and unique shops that you won’t find anywhere else. On Sundays there is a wonderful flea market that will allow you to pick up some real bargains.

Williamsburg, Prospect Park and Clifton Hill

If you are looking to break away from the norm, or if you are a repeat visitor to New York City, then you may well be looking for something a little different or off the beaten track. Well, you can find that here, and so much more. Brooklyn is only 20 minutes on the subway from Manhattan and therefore you can still head off to check out the sights whenever you want to.

Brooklyn Flea Market in New York

Bargains hunters will find lots on offer here with Beacon’s Closet being an amazing place to pick up a vintage bargain. Grand street is home to lots of delightful little boutiques for that truly unique present and Fifth Avenue is packed full of fashion and jewellery to ensure that you are cuts above the rest when you return home. The Brooklyn Flea Market, on Sundays, is great for indie pieces.

Just 20 minutes away, by train, from Manhattan is Prospect Park and Park Slopes which are absolutely delightful areas just waiting to be explored.

Prospect Park in New York

Wherever you end up in New York City you can be sure of an amazing shopping experience and some amazing accommodation that is incredibly reasonable. There is so much to see and do here once you’re all shopped out and you can find some real amazing bargains so shop wisely, taking your time or shop in one large department store to get it all done, whatever you feel like doing can be yours.

My thanks for this sponsored post to Netflights – check out their cheap flights to New York from London Heathrow

Photo credits: Manhattan Bridge by andrew c mace, Katz’s Deli by iambents, Macy’s by CeeKay’s Pix, Chelsea Market by Steel Wool, Brooklyn Flea Market by sweetjessie, and Prospect Park by forklift

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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In Travel Podcast Episode 19 I visit Egypt where I spent a week travelling with a friend who lives in Alexandria. I took a walking tour of the city where many of the houses are crumbling away and where we bumped into a wedding procession hooting horns and letting off fireworks. We drove west to the popular holiday resort of Marsa Matrouh and turned south-west to the desert oasis of Siwa near the Libyan border. I found Siwa to be a truly magical place and we explored the old mud brick fortress of the Shali, visited the ancient tombs at Gebel al-Mawta or the Mountain of the dead and watched the sun set over the lake at Fatnas island.

Link to audio file

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Alexandria in Egypt

On my first day in Alexandria, I drove along the corniche that stretches along the coastline, past the Alexandria library which surprised me for being a modern building, not ancient as I had imagined. My new friend Gordon, an Englishman who lives in Alexandria took me on a walking tour of the old Italian, French and Greek neighbourhoods. The impression is of buildings that are peeling and run down, as the rents are fixed and the tenancy can be handed down the generations so the landlords have no incentive to renovate their properties.

We wandered through the souks where we found a street for every different thing you might want to buy, such as the stationary street and the party decoration street . Gordon told me that the Alexandrians celebrate all the festivals for each different religion, but they can only start decorating 2 weeks before. We walked through the fruit market where strawberries were in season & the fresh figs would soon be available in June and finished in the jewellery quarter where although most shops were shut I still managed to treat myself to a necklace.

Beau Rivage Hotel at Marsa Martrouh

Beau Rivage Hotel at Marsa Martrouh

The next day, we drove westwards out of Alexandria along the coast road past a succession of holiday developments, each closely built in a different architectural style with only the occasional break through which you could glimpse the sea. These are popular with Egyptian families although they are only used in the summer months although I preferred it when the developments petered out and we were just driving through the desert. We passed El Alamein, the site of the famous World War 2 tank battles, passing the Italian, German & British war cemeteries. We arrived after a few hours at Marsa Matrouh where everyone in Alexandria comes for their summer holidays with a lot of apartments and hotels. We noticed a few military checkpoints, partly because of the recent revolution and partly because Libya has claims on this part of Egypt so it is treated as a military zone.

We stayed at the Beau Rivage hotel on the edge of town, with views over the beautifully landscaped gardens and over the pool and towards the sea. We enjoyed relaxing on the sun loungers on the beach and took a dip in the intensely turquoise sea – but after a while we felt everything was a bit too perfect so we took a walk beyond the hotel walls and found a bit of normal Egyptian life outside the hotel compound. We came across a man fishing and another with his children making a small fire of brushwood on the beach where he was brewing up some tea and showed us a small fish that he was keeping alive in a rock pool and was planning to cook later.

That evening we decided to drive into town for dinner to look for a good fish restaurant as the Alexandrians take great pride in their fresh fish. Our Egyptian friend, Said, inspected all the fish that were on display on ice and we chose what we wanted and then it was weighed and we paid for the weight. We were asked how we liked it cooked – grilled, fried or with a sauce and of course we over-ordered a huge spread of giant prawns, octopus and fish served with meze and salads. After dinner I was getting internet withdrawal symptoms and we found an internet cafe which was filled with men watching football and smoking the shisha pipes. I puzzled over the problem of logging on to the Wifi since the password was in Arabic script, but luckily a Libyan medical student came to our rescue and managed to copy the password from his phone onto my laptop to log in. Meanwhile we drank hibiscus tea and a creamy desert topped with fruit and coconut.

Internet Cafe at Marsa Martrouh

The next day we drove on to Siwa about 3 hours south west of Marsa Matrouh, through the gritty desert landscape with the odd military base and a cafe half way in the middle of nowhere. Suddenly the rocky outcrops that surround Siwa rose out of the desert and we saw the lake ahead of us (and it’s not a mirage!). The oasis is based on underground springs that keep the oasis green and enable date palms and olive trees to grow. We stayed at the lovely Siwa Safari Gardens Hotel – an oasis within the oasis with a spring-fed pool in the middle of the garden and our rooms in the 2 story buildings around the garden.

The traditional buildings in Siwa are made out of rock salt and mud clay and the Siwa people are keen to preserve their culture and the tranquil atmosphere with sustainable tourism. Since it was not long after the revolution and the Libyan crisis was still going on, there were not many tourists although we felt very safe in Siwa.

The Shali in Siwa in Egypt

We visited the Temple of the Oracle, with mud wall construction and the remains of the stone built temple at the top with amazing views towards the lake and over the city. Then we stopped at Cleopatra’s spring which is a large round pool with clear green water with the bubbles coming to the surface, reminding me of the Roman springs at Bath near where I live. We sat and had some lemon grass tea in a cafe next to the Cleopatra’s spring and we were offered a small fruit the size of a cherry but with the flavour of  an apple. The date palms and olives are the main cash crops in Siwa- vegetables can also grow here but they are sold locally as they would cost too much to transport.

We visited the Siwa House, a museum of Siwa culture, where the curator told us the story behind the wedding dresses worn by the Siwa women. The dress worn for the wedding night is made of embroidered green silk, although many of the women now wear western style wedding dresses. The creamy white silk dress with embroidery like the rays of a sun is worn on the third day after the wedding when the bride’s relatives come to visit her, although her mother does not visit her until the seventh day when she wears a black silk dress with embroidery and mother of pearl buttons for decoration. The mother of pearl buttons were brought on the caravans by traders who would exchange wool, carpets and wheat in exchange for dates and olive oil. The dyes used to colour the silk fabric and the embroidery thread are made from dates – the traditional colours of Siwa are only green, yellow, orange, red and black – each colour is produced from the dates at different stages in their ripening. The trousers and shawls are also made from natural silk embroidered with the coloured threads.

The House of Siwa in Siwa, Egypt

When the female relatives of the bride visit her after the wedding they are offered part of the heart of the palm as a special treat, but the mother of the bride receives a whole palm heart decorated with fruit and sweets. This is considered a great sign of hospitality as the palm is considered a valuable plant due to the dates it produces. From the age of 10 to 13 when they get engaged the young girls start to embroider their wedding dresses helped by their mothers and their aunts. The parents will arrange the marriage for their children, choosing the husband based on the knowledge of the families rather than financial considerations.  The hair of the women in Siwa is braided in different styles depending on whether the woman is single or married. The unmarried girls will have many braids on each side of their heads while the married women have 9 braids which cross over the forehead.

Gebel al-Mawta, Mountain of the Dead in Siwa in Egypt

We also visited Gebel al Mawta or the Mountain of the Dead, the ancient burial place of Siwa. We climbed to the top of the mound and looked down on all the rock hewn tombs below, some of which can be viewed with a guide and are painted inside. You can hear the wind blowing at the top and from there I got a great panorama over the oasis, looking across to the ancient fortress town of the Shali.

Mint tea at Fatnas island in Siwa in Egypt

Sunset at Fatnas island in Siwa in Egypt

That evening we drove to Fatnas island to see the sunset setting over the lake although in recent years the lake level has dropped so it is more like a salt marsh. Sitting in rattan chairs we sipped sweet mint tea and looked across the lake to the eco-lodge where Prince Charles and Camilla stayed when they were in Siwa. We chatted to the man who owned this land and had set up the tea kiosk as a business – he is a storyteller who had travelled all over the Middle East including a performance for the Queen of Jordan. In the darkness we drank our tea under the date palms as we watched the sun go down.

Other podcasts you may enjoy

 Papua New Guinea podcast – interview with Beth Whitman
The Mongol Rally with Sherry Ott
Visiting the Christmas Markets in Munich

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Egypt – Alexandria photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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To add to the sci fi landscape of the Shali in Siwa Oasis, I must mention Gebel Al-Mawa or The Mountain of the Dead which I visited while I was in Egypt spring. This ancient Greek and Roman graveyard of Siwa is a hill where the soft sandstone rock is pockmarked with hundreds of holes that once housed tombs for the dead.

Heather at Gebel Al Mawta, the Mountain of the dead at Siwa

Over the years everything inside the tombs has disappeared leaving a cratered landscape on a hill and you can climb up to get a fantastic and windy panorama over the oasis. Any treasures have long since vanished at the hands of tomb-robbers although an old Siwa manuscript mentions a hidden tomb containing the treasury of King Khuaybish, the passage to which may be found through some long forgotten tomb.

I hope you enjoy the video below of the panorama from Gebel Al-Mawta or the Mountain of the dead in Siwa

If you can’t see the video above, view it on my blog here

We arrived in the late afternoon on our way to see the sunset from Fatnas Island, but found that because the ticket booth was closed for the day, we were unable to buy a ticket which would have allowed us a look inside some of the painted tombs that have been preserved. We had to come back the next day and the guide let us have a look inside, although I was not allowed to take any photos.

Gebel Al Mawta or the Mountain of the dead in Siwa, Egypt

There are four tombs that unlike the rest are locked up and must be viewed with the guide. Inside you can find painted chambers with alcoves where the mummies of different family members would have been placed. The walls and ceilings were covered in paintings in ocre, red and cobalt blue, of the Ancient Egyptian Gods and Godesses and inscriptions about those who were buried within.

Tomb at Gebel Al Mawta or the Mountain of the dead in Siwa, Egypt

In more recent times, the empty tombs were used as shelters during the Second World War, when the German, British and Italian troops fought over this part of the Egyptian desert. You can easily visit Gebel al-Mawta on the edge of Siwa town and if you make a tour of the ancient monuments of Siwa, this will be included. I’d recommend coming with an English speaking guide who can tell you all about the Mountain of the dead, as there are no information signs.

Read more Siwa stories

The Siwa Sunset at Fatnas Island in Egypt
Date Palms and Donkey Carts – 8 things to see in Siwa Oasis
Sci-fi film or lunar landscape? – the Shali at Siwa Oasis in Egypt – video

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Egypt – Siwa photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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If you only have a few days to visit the San Diego area with your family, this article from Vacation Home Rentals will give you a taste of the beach, natural coastline and the experience of the San Diego zoo.

Last fall my daughter and I headed to San Diego for a short break and a friend’s wedding – although we only had 3 days in the area, we decided to make the most of the time and see as much as possible. Arriving at San Diego International Airport in the late afternoon, we got a rental car and headed straight to the beach. After a long and tiring flight, swimming in the Pacific was the first thing on our vacation checklist.

Mission Beach in San Diego

Our first destination was a two-mile urban beach, the North Mission Beach. It has everything you would expect from a typical Southern California beach, but for someone coming from the east coast, the warmth of the water which was almost 70ºF was a surprise. The paved boardwalk allowed us to wander along, taking in the beach scene – from volleyball players on the sand, rollerbladers wearing next to nothing, to bicyclists and skateboarders showing off their moves. We shopped for souvenirs in the little stores until late in the afternoon and then watched the sun setting over the ocean.

Flamingo lagoon in San Diego Zoo

Tired out from the travel and sea air, we checked into our San Diego vacation rental that was close to everything we wanted to see with a full size kitchen so that we could have the flexibility to eat out or eat in. The next day, we woke up refreshed and ready to see more of what San Diego has to offer.

Elephant Odyssey in San Diego Zoo

My daughter had never been to a zoo, so I agreed that we could go to the San Diego zoo. Dubbed as one the world’s largest zoo, it would take more than a day to see everything. In the Flamingo lagoon, we were able to survey the flamboyant colors of the flamingos from the elevated walkway along the lagoon, enabling us welcomed to observe their behavior close-up. There was also a rainforest aviary housing a collection of more than 200 birds of different species with all the sights and sounds of a real Southeast Asian jungle environment. The best part of the zoo was Elephant Odyssey where my daughter enjoyed exploring the remnants of extinct animals and prehistoric fossil evidence. Nothing beats our experience being stepped down by an elephant as we went into a tunnel passage that goes under part of the elephant exhibit. Our first zoo experience was amazing – although I had my doubts about zoos, we both ended up loving it.

Wild flowers at Torrey Pines State Park in San Diego

While visiting San Diego, we also visited a nature-protected area of Torrey Pines State Park. Basically a bluff rising from the Pacific ocean, along the trail were sandstone canyons and there were arches and alcoves on the beach. The high road led us to the coastal wilderness of pine trees. Although a local hiker told us that the area is usually dry and brown, we found wild flowers covering the cliffs. We finally reached Yucca point where we were confronted by the magnificent view of the ocean. We had our share of relaxing feel, enjoyed the breeze and inviting smell of pine cones in the park. Of course, we should not miss our purpose of coming in San Diego.

Torrey Pines Reserve in San Diego

After our adventure, we headed back to our rental and changed our clothes from nature-friendly to black-tie ready for my friend’s wedding at the Thursday Club. It was a beautiful ceremony; the perfect conclusion to a great weekend away. The next day we were heading back to the airport, but next time we hope to able to stay for longer than just a weekend.

Photo credits: Mission beach by Kevin H., Elephant Odyssey by Cynr, Flamingo lagoon by r3v|| cls, Wild flowers by christopherallisonphotography.com, and Torrey Pines reserve by Jason Pratt

This article was brought to you by  Vacation Home Rentals - for your vacation rental in the San Diego area.

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Sometimes when I travel I come across a place that is so cinematic or downright wierd that I think it could be the perfect location for a sci-fi movie – Star Wars or perhaps James Bond. I feel sure that the Shali, a ruined fortified town in Siwa oasis in Egypt, would make an excellent film backdrop – perhaps Dr Who’s Tardis will be landing there in the next series.

The Shali in Siwa in Egypt

Picture an honeycomb of close built houses, each one built by hand with mud bricks strengthened by local salt rock known as karsheef, with plenty of alleyways and hidden courtyards where women could relax with their families without having to be veiled from prying eyes. This was once a fortress with only one gate in, where the Siwi people could feel protected from raiders from the desert and unwelcome outsiders were kept outside the walls.

I hope you enjoy the video below with a panorama from the ruined Shali fortress in Siwa, Egypt

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The Shali was built up from the 13th century onward and the buildings were originally several stories high, but now you can only see the outlines of the broken down walls, creating  something of a lunar landscape. The original town of Siwa was probably located close to the site of the Temple of the Oracle, but due to attacks from Nomadic tribes, it was decided to move the town or ‘Shali’ in Siwi language, to a safer location on the hill. In this century, families started to move to more modern houses and in 1926 three days of constant rain damaged many of the houses beyond repair.

The Shali in Siwa in Egypt

Climb to the top of the Shali and you get the view all around the oasis – it’s one of the high points of Siwa, the others being the Temple of the Oracle and Gebel al-Mawta or the Mountain of the dead, which you can see like a big, dried out cow pat behind me in the picture. From here you can view the endless date palm plantations, with the odd square of blue-green of a walled spring that is used for irrigation and sometimes for swimming and beyond them just desert for hundreds of miles.

More tales from Siwa in Egypt

The Siwa sunset at Fatnas Island
Date Palms and Donkey carts – 8 things to see in Siwa Oasis, Egypt
What makes the perfect holiday in Marsa Matrouh, Egypt?

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Egypt – Siwa photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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Aruba is a tiny Caribbean island that isn’t anywhere near as well-known as say Jamaica or Antigua and, it remains part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands too. So what’s there to see and do in this small slice of paradise? Here’s our top 5 things to see in Aruba;

Caribbean islands provide the backdrop for many a dream beach holiday, but if you’re bored of the Bahamas, or tired of Tobago, how about heading for one of the region’s hidden gems? Awesome Aruba. One of the Leeward Antilles – an island chain in the southern Caribbean Sea – it’s also part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the nationals living there are Dutch citizens.Unlike many of its neighbouring islands, Aruba also has a dry climate, and a cactus-filled landscape. Visitors can reliably expect warm, sunny weather with temperatures rarely dipping below 28C. Most of the tourist resorts are centred around the western and southern coasts of the island which are relatively sheltered from the fiercer of the ocean currents. So, that’s the beach and the sunshine sorted – what else can Aruba offer?

Beachfront Homes and Boats in Aruba

Well, Aruba holidays can be as action-packed or as laid-back as you choose. If its adventure you’re after, try kitesurfing. Every year in June or July, Aruba hosts the Hi-Winds Amateur World Challenge windsurfing and kitesurfing tournament. This five-day competition attracts contenders from around the world and includes a Round-the-Island race where they complete a 70-mile circuit, braving the fiercer winds and currents of the north and eastern coasts. If you’re not quite up to this standard, but feel inspired to give it a go, there are professional instructors who can show you how it’s done.

Turtle at Antilla Wreck, Aruba

Scuba diving is another great way to enjoy a seaside holiday, and diving off Aruba is nothing short of spectacular.  You can expect to see stingrays, moray eels, barracuda and manta rays on the coral reefs off the western and southern coasts. Novices can learn with qualified instructors or more advanced divers might like to explore one of the largest shipwrecks in the Caribbean, the Antilla. This war-time German freighter was scuppered by her crew when they surrendered, and now lies in the shallow waters and is a great wreck to explore both inside and out. Try a night dive for a really eerie experience.

Oranjestad, Aruba’s capital, is another must-see for any holidaymaker. Take time to wander through the charming palm-lined streets admiring the pastel-coloured buildings, or head down to the wharf to see the fishermen land, and sell, their daily catch, often straight off the boats. Stroll through the area and see the schooners and houseboats moored near the fishing boats, or head to Wilhelmina Park – a small tropical garden dedicated to the Dutch queen from 1890 to 1948. If shopping’s your thing, you can either haggle for bargains at the dockside bazaars (be warned, these will be bustling on days when cruise ships are in), or go to the upmarket boutiques in downtown Oranjestad or Seaport village.

Oranjestad and Hooiberg

Towards the centre of the island and along the northern coast, and covering almost 20% of the island’s land, is the Arikok National Park. This enclosed wilderness has 21 miles of marked walking trails which showcase the islands’ natural flora and fauna. Look out for the famous dividivi trees, the branches of which are shaped by the trade winds and always point to the west. You can also expect to see local lizards and rabbits, and possibly the Cascabel rattlesnake. There’s plenty to explore in the park – you can see the ancient Arawak petroglyphs in the Fontein cave, ruins of peasant settlements and plantation houses and the ruins of an old gold mine in Miralamar. The park is also home to Mount Jamanota, the highest point on the island. It’s a short but steep walk to the top, but well-worth it for the views.

My thanks for this sponsored post to luxury holidays specialist Hayes & Jarvis, written by Belinda Weber 

Photo credits: Beachfront Homes and Boats by roger4336, Turtle at Antilla Wreck by Serge Melki, Oranjestad and Hooiberg by roger4336

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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Dusk was falling as we drove across the causeway onto Fatnas island, surrounded by reeds and the shallow water of the salt lake. This was reputed to be one of the best places in Siwa to watch the sun go down, in the middle of this oasis in the Egyptian desert. From the shadows a man emerged to welcome us to the small island. This was a place that his family had owned for generations, now turned into a means of earning some income by offering visitors to Siwa a place to come and sit a while under the date palms to watch the sunset.

Fatnas Island at Siwa in Egypt

Mint tea at Fatnas island in Siwa in Egypt

We stood around the circular walled spring at the entrance of the island, mesmerised by the blue-green water and the continuous streams of tiny bubbles rising to the surface. Then we took our seats in the rattan chairs to await the main event of the evening. Our host brought us tiny cups of sweet mint tea and came to chat for a while  about this and that; the celebrations for his daughter’s wedding, the new house that he was building beside the lake and how Prince Charles and Camilla had stayed in the eco-lodge just across the lake from where we were sitting.

Sunset at Fatnas island in Siwa in Egypt

Due to a drainage project by the local government, the water-level in front of us had dropped in recent years and turned into marsh, fringed by reeds and a great place for bird-watching. What a relaxing place to while away an hour or two.

Sunset at Fatnas island in Siwa in Egypt

A few glasses of mint tea and one great sunset later, we were so soporific, we could barely prise ourselves out of our chairs to leave. We listened to the silence and the rustling of palm leaves in the warm evening air, with the curling cigarette smoke of our driver chasing away any mosquitos.

Sunset at Fatnas island in Siwa in Egypt

As we drove away, our host jumped on his motorbike and passed by us to go home, having served his only customers of the evening. We stopped the car on the causeway and lay on the tarmac gazing at the stars while my friend who is a star-gazing enthusiast pointed out the planetary landmarks, the Plough and the Great Bear and we giggled at our silliness. The sun had set on another relaxing day in Siwa.

This sunset is offered as part of the Photo Friday, hosted at Delicious Baby – head over to check out some other great travel photos and stories.

More Egyptian tales to entertain you

Date palms and donkey carts – things to do in Siwa Oasis
What makes the perfect holiday in Marsa Martrouh?
6 misconceptions I had about Alexandria

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Egypt – Siwa photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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In Episode 18 in my travel podcast series, I talk to Sherry Ott about the Mongol Rally and her adventures driving from London to Mongolia with three other travel bloggers. I met Sherry, who blogs at Ottsworld, in London just as their Social Media Syndicate (with Deb and Dave from ThePlanetD and Rick from Midlife Roadtrip ) were preparing to leave England starting from Goodwood. Now Sherry’s safely back from the Mongol Rally we caught up and heard about their adventures driving on dirt roads when the tarmac ran out, through rivers and over rickety bridges, although all this seemed tame compared to what happened to some of the other teams. In 5 weeks they made it to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia where all the Mongol Rally cars were sold to raise money for charity and there were not one but three finish line parties to celebrate the achievement.

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The Social Media Syndicate camping in Mongolia Photo: Sherry Ott

Show Notes

The Mongol Rally is a car adventure for teams to drive from London to Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia, preferably in a totally unsuitable car. The Rally is organised by The Adventurists to support a different Mongolian Charity each year and all the cars are sold at the end with the proceeds going to support the charity.

Before they set off Sherry’s Social Media Syndicate team arrived in London to prepare the car that they had bought over the Internet, making sure they had all the spare parts they needed and well as getting all their paperwork in place. The challenge was that the team knew very little about car mechanics even though on average each Mongol Rally team has 9 breakdowns en route.

Muffler repair in Mongolia on the Mongol Rally Photo: Sherry Ott

The team comprised Sherry Ott from Ottsworld, Deb and Dave from ThePlanetD who are based in Toronto and Rick Griffin from Midlife Roadtrip - their strap-line was “4 travel bloggers over 40″

Each Mongol Rally team can choose their own route and Sherry’s team planned to travel through 14 countries; Belgium, Germany, Czech Republic, Hungary, Romania, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan and Mongolia finishing in Ulaanbaatar. To decide the route to team had got together on a Skype call with Google maps and plotted what they thought would work, but there was no detailed plan. There were times when Sherry wasn’t sure if they would make it due to delays at borders, problems with paperwork and mechanical difficulties, not to mention the terrible roads.

Kazakhstan dirt roads on the Mongol Rally Photo: Sherry Ott

The team are all still friends but it was stressful always being in a car together and having to make constant travel decisions such as; what road do we take, where do we eat, where do we stay, what was that sound in the car? The team worked out any disagreements by sitting down and talking out the pros and cons of each decision, such as whether to change their route.

At the start of the Rally at Goodwood, everything came to life with a circus atmosphere and the organisers even arranged actors to impersonate Russian Border guards. It was exciting but everyone had their hoods up and was looking under the engines which made Sherry anxious that the other teams were better prepared than her team was.

Pushing a car in Mongolia on the Mongol Rally Photo: Sherry Ott

A lot of the vehicles were ambulances and one was a small school bus named the “Too big to fail bus” which lived up to its name and made it to the end even though they had a few problems driving their bus through the streets of Istanbul. There were a couple of fire trucks and a car covered with long purple fur, called the “Fast and the Furriest” which by the end was completely grey with dust. Another car was completely wrapped in duct tape and the team had a lot of problems at borders because the officials couldn’t understand how to classify the car.

In Europe they enjoyed staying with travel bloggers in Cologne and Brussels and Prague was highlight where they stayed for a day to look around. Then they drove through Hungary and Slovakia and Sherry loved Brasov in Romania, a beautifully kept town surrounded by mountains. Sherry was sad not to be able to see more of these places but they were focused on keeping going and too many stops would put them behind on their schedule and even then they wouldn’t have time to see it all properly. There were also constraints due to the visas which determined that they had to enter Russia on 4 August as they only had 30 days to cover several countries then cross back into Russia again.

Kiev Ukraine Church on the Mongol Rally

Visiting Prague on the Mongol Rally

Until they got to Romania there were no border crossings but as they crossed into Moldova and into Ukraine things changed because there were border crossings and this meant delays over paperwork and difficulties in communicating as the language and alphabet changed and these countries had much less tourism. At borders they had to be patient and wait it out to get through without too many bribes. The border crossing took from 1.5 hrs to 24 hrs at longest with an average of 4 hours. Often they would have to act dumb and pretend they didn’t understand what was going on to avoid paying bribes.

On the roads crossing from Russia into Kazakhstan the roads got worse, because although they are tarmac they were poorly maintained and pounded by huge trucks with massive potholes or pot hills. If you went too fast the road condition could change quickly and you could scrape the bottom of the car, risking damaging it. In Mongolia the roads were also difficult as they were dirt and it was not always obvious which route to take.

Road choices in Mongolia on the Mongol Rally

Camping in Kazakhstan on the Mongol Rally

Sometimes Sherry felt a little vulnerable at night in Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan, when they would pull off the road and drive into a field to camp, as she feared that they might be robbed, although in the end they had no problems of this kind. All the locals who came up to them just wanted to talk to them and find out what they were doing.

Once they got to Mongolia they encountered river crossings where they would rely on the advice of locals on the best route to cross the river as they were not always the obvious crossing points. Once they followed 2 guys on a motorbike, snaking though the river and the water came into the front of the car but they kept their foot on the gas and kept moving so as to avoid getting water in the exhaust. Although the driving was stressful, after 5 weeks Sherry was becoming a bit more relaxed about this kind of challenge.

River crossing in Mongolia on the Mongol Rally Photo: Sherry Ott

Sherry had visited Mongolia 2 years ago when she spent 2 weeks on a local tour in the Gobi desert. This time she was able to see Western Mongolia which is more remote, but she found that outside the city the Mongol way of life of living in Gers remained the same and the landscapes were just as stunning. Whenever they camped in Mongolia the locals would come to visit them in the morning or evening and bring gifts such as cheese or fermented mare’s milk. As they had a map sticker on the bonnet they could use this to try and explain their journey. Any local visitors would invariably ask to buy their car due to the shortage of cars in Mongolia. Even though people can afford to buy a car, very few are being imported, so even in the smallest villages people would ask to buy the car.

Once the teams arrived in Ulaanbaatar they handed over their car and the paperwork to the Adventurists who organise the Mongol Rally. Some better vehicles get cleaned up and put in a bigger auction but otherwise they are auctioned on the day they arrive. The organisers pay the vehicle import taxes and the rest of the money goes to the charity with many of the cars being sold for more money than they were paid for in the UK. The charity changes every year, but this year it was the Christina Noble Foundation who run a Ger camp that houses orphaned or disadvantaged children who can’t live with their families. At the final party the kids from the camp performed for the teams, singing, playing music and doing a judo display, with around $500 being raised for the charity.

A Ger in Mongolia on the Mongol Rally

Western Mongolia on the Mongol Rally

Because the Mongol Rally has no set end date, with everyone arriving at different times, the organisers set  up 3 different finish line parties, one at 4 weeks after the start and the others at 5 weeks and 6 weeks. This meant that most of the teams could go to one of the parties, depending on when they arrived.

Once Sherry’s team met up with the other teams they realised that their team got off lightly. One team from Scotland went to a disco in Russia and 2 out of 3 got drugged and robbed while the third got in a cab to go to his hotel and the driver took him outside the city and demanded money from him. There were stories of people driving into rivers and their car floating away. Sherry reckoned that the Social Media Syndicate were too busy working and blogging to get into as much trouble as some of the younger teams.

Throughout the trip, the blogging team worked very hard at staying online. When they stayed in hotels they could generally find wifi and would work late into the night to get photos and blogs posted. Until they reached Mongolia they were able to use a 3G Kindle to get Internet access and do some live tweeting en route and check email. Once they were out of 3G range in Mongolia, they could use a world sim card sponsored by Onesimcard to text their tweets to a phone number which would then be posted on Twitter. In Europe they used a Tep wireless device which enabled them to get wifi on the move and they could even get Internet access and do work in the car. The Car was sponsored by Allways Rental in New Zealand.

Horse meets car in Mongolia on the Mongol Rally Photo: Sherry Ott

The team used a satellite tracking device from Track24Solo who tracked their position and posted it onto their Facebook pages – within Europe they were able to track their position on the map but once they got to Mongolia they used it to track distance between villages. In London the team were put up in an apartment by Oh-London and in several other cities, Roomorama provided short term rental accommodation.

Now she is back in the US, Sherry’s current project is a series of meet-ups in cities in the US and Canada through her Meet Plan Go website, inspiring and advising people how to plan career breaks to enable them to travel. After that Sherry is not sure what she will be doing and has a feeling of anticlimax, that nothing can top the unique adventure of the Mongol Rally.

Find out more about the Mongol Rally

The Mongol Rally is an annual event organised by the Adventurists - find them on Twitter @theadventurists
You can read all Sherry’s stories from the Mongol Rally on Ottsworld
Read what Sherry’s team-mates wrote about the Mongol Rally – Deb and Dave at ThePlanetD  and Rick Griffin at Midlife Road Trip
Connect with the Social Media Syndicate on Twitter @ottsworld @theplanetd @midliferoadtrip – they used the hashtag #mongolsms and #mongolrally

All photos are copyright of Sherry Ott

More Travel Podcasts from Heather on her travels

If you enjoyed this travel podcast please check out my other podcasts in my Travel Podcast Archive

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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When I heard about the oasis at Siwa in the Egyptian desert, I visualised of a small patch of palm trees waving in the breeze, a few mud brick houses in the background and pools of water bubbling up gently from the earth. It was that image from old movies of the oasis in the desert, a halucination that shimmers in the heat but is never quite reached.

What I hadn’t realised until we drove across the desert on the excellent tarmac road from Marsa Martrouh is that Siwa is a large  town of 25,000 people with a bustling central square, two freshwater lakes and plantations of date palms stretching into the distance. You could see all the major sites in two or three days, but there’s a seductive quality to Siwa that makes you want to slow down and just chill out, absorbing the relaxed atmosphere of the oasis.

Donkey carts in Siwa oasis in Egypt

Because of its isolated position in the middle of the desert, Siwa has developed a unique culture that is different from the rest of Egypt with it’s own Siwi language and traditions. Siwi women are fully covered when they go out of the house and you’ll normally see them being driven around town, sitting wrapped up on the back of a donkey cart that is driven by a husband or young boy. There are numerous springs around the oasis that have been made into walled pools where you can sometimes swim, although ladies need to cover up to avoid causing offence. I visited Siwa with a friend who lives in Alexandria and we so we were so seduced by Siwa that we stayed a day more than intended. Here are things we enjoyed while in Siwa;

Take a donkey cart ride

You can find a number of donkey carts waiting like taxis in the central square to take you around the lanes of Siwa and it’s an ideal way to travel on the narrow dusty roads. I didn’t have the opportunity to try a donkey cart ride as we had a car, but your accommodation will be able to arrange a donkey cart tour with a knowledgeable guide who can also tell you about everything that you’ll see on the way. Alternatively go to the square and agree your price for a ride around town.

The Temple of the Oracle

This temple complex is crumbling away but you can climb up through the mud brick building to the remains of the temple, set on the top, where you can see the stone pillars and carved reliefs. The temple was built in the 6th century and was dedicated to the God Amun. The Oracle of the temple was famous for being visited by Alexander the Great in 331BC, when having done much of his conquering he came to consult the Oracle and confirm his legitimacy. Without a guide it’s difficult to imagine the bustling complex, halls and holy sanctuaries, but you get a great view over the oasis from the top.

The Temple of the Oracle in Siwa, Egypt

Cleopatra’s spring

This is the largest and best known spring in the oasis and an ideal place to while away an hour or two in one of the small cafes, under the shade of the date palms, sipping a mint tea. Of course, it’s named after the Queen of Egypt, who probably never came here, but it’s nice to imagine her enjoying a cooling dip amongst her handmaidens.

Cleopatra's spring in Siwa, Egypt

There are some souvenir stalls there and we were even brought a dish of small local fruit the size of a cherry but with the taste and texture of an apple. There are steps down into the pool, if you fancy bathing like a queen, but the advice for ladies is to bathe covered up with a loose garment and certainly no bikinis.

Cleopatra's spring in Siwa, Egypt

Cleopatra's spring in Siwa, Egypt

The Shali Fortress

The Shali is the old fortified town of Siwa, build in the 13th century of mud brick mixed with salt rock, known as karsheef, which is hardened by the sun. Originally there was only one gate in to the hill town, so that the Siwa population could be protected from nomadic raiders and control the admittance of any outsiders. In the 19th century, families started to move away from their houses in the Shali and it was further abandoned after three days of heavy rain in 1926 reduced many houses to ruins. Now the Shali has crumbled into a lunar landscape of broken down mud walls, but you can climb up to the top through the old houses that were once filled with families and get a great view over the town. From the top you can see that some of the houses in the old quarter have been restored and are being used as hotels or private homes where you can stay for the authentic Siwa experience. Standing at the top with the wind blowing it seemed like an alien landscape from another planet where you might come across a character from Star Wars or Doctor Who. Read more about the Shali.

The Shali Fortress in Siwa, Egypt

Gebel al-Mawta (The Mountain of the dead)

On the edge of Siwa, this outcrop is the ancient burial ground of the Romans and Ancient Egyptians and is honeycombed with empty tombs. It’s possible to climb to the top of the of the mound and sit there with the wind blowing through your hair with panoramic views over the oasis. There is a small kiosk at the bottom of the mound where you pay your entrance fee and this will also allow you to see some of the tombs carved out of the rock which are beautifully decorated with wall paintings.

Gebel al-Mawta in Siwa, Egypt

Sadly, no photographs were allowed inside the tombs but it was interesting to see the rock carved pillars and  ancient Egyptian paintings.

Gebel al-Mawta in Siwa, Egypt

Gebel al-Mawta in Siwa, Egypt

The House of Siwa Museum (El Beit El Siwa)

We were lucky enough to have tour in English from the Curator of the Siwa House museum. Although the museum is open at specific times, it’s best to ask your hotel or the tourism office to telephone ahead to book a time to visit, so that you can be sure to find someone to explain everything about the house. The house was constructed specially to house the museum, using traditional Siwa construction techniques using the karsheef mixture of mud and salt rock, with palm trunks to make the beams of the house. Downstairs there is a display of traditional bridal dresses, made of different coloured silks decorated with embroidery and mother of pearl buttons; dark green for the wedding night, creamy white embroidered with the rays of the sun for the 3rd day after the wedding when the bride’s relatives come to call and black for the visit of the bride’s mother 7 nights after the wedding. Upstairs are other traditional costumes and furnishings as well as jewellery and household objects used in Siwa.

House of Siwa Museum in Egypt

House of Siwa Museum in Egypt

Sunset at Fatnas island

This small island on the salt lake is reached along a causeway road and the favourite time to visit is at sunset, when you can sit under the rustling date palms and watch the sun go down behind the rocky outcrop across the lake. Apparently the lake level has fallen somewhat in recent years, so that now the water in front of the island is full of reeds and the land more exposed. At the place where the road reaches the island there is a small walled spring which is very deep, where you can swim if you wish (ladies remember to cover up) or you can just peer in to the green depths and be mesemerised by the tiny bubbles of gas streaming to the surface. The island is covered with palms and there is a small kiosk where you will be served sweet mint tea while you sit on the wicker chairs and watch the sun go down. When we left Fatnas Island in darkness, the owner jumped on his motorbike and went home too, and we just had the stars to guide us back to the mainland. Read more about the sunset at Fatnas Island.

Sunset on Fatnas Island, Siwa in Egypt

Our Hotel Recommendation

We highly recommend the Siwa Safari Gardens Hotel where we stayed  when we were in Siwa. It is in a very convenient location about 5 minutes walk down a side road from the main square but slightly away from the bustle and very quiet and relaxed. The rooms are on two stories, set around the lovely garden with shady date palms and grass, and best of all there is a small pool which has been made out of one of the natural springs with a stone terrace where you can sit and relax.

Siwa Safari Gardens Hotel in Siwa, Egypt

We stayed in the rooms on the upper floor which have an attractive brick domed ceiling and were nicely furnished with colourful quilts and traditional rugs on the floor. There is a pleasant reception/ sitting area next to the dining room where there is free wifi. The owner-manager, Mr Sami once lived in Germany and is exceptionally attentive and helpful – I would trust him to make any arrangements for me in Siwa and he phoned ahead to make an appointment for us with the curator of the Siwa House Museum. I felt that it was a big asset having a pool in our hotel, and such a nice one at that, because here you can swim freely, whereas it would considered disrespectful for women travellers to swim in the springs around the oasis unless they are modestly covered up. If I returned to Siwa I would love to stay here again.

Siwa Safari Garden Hotel Website

More Egyptian memories

6 misconceptions I had about Alexandria in Egypt
What makes the perfect holiday in Marsa Martrouh?
My trip to Alexandria and Siwa with My Vacation iphone app

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Egypt – Siwa photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

Don’t miss out – subscribe to Heather on her travels

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More and more people are getting married overseas. If you’re thinking of tying the knot on a perfect beach here are a few suggestions;

With increasing numbers of couples choosing to marry overseas, it’s becoming much easier to organise your nuptials in a foreign land. A beach at sunset is a perfect backdrop for your special day, but there are certain practical implications to bear in mind.

If you’re planning a beach wedding, think carefully about the wedding dress and suits – you’ll want them to be of light, natural fabrics such as cotton or linen. Try to avoid silk as this can be extremely hot, and morning suits or tuxedos could cause overheating  if worn for a long time. If the bride has set her heart on a long train, she might want to consider a detachable one – it can then be removed when it’s in danger of getting wet or sandy. Shorter dresses are more practical in the tropical heat, as are halter neck styles, or those with spaghetti straps.

A kiss on the beach

You should also think about how you’re going to pack your chosen outfits – choose crease resistant clothes that can survive being packed in a suitcase.Another top tip to remember is to use loads of suntan lotion as you don’t want to be plagued by sunburn on your big day. Remember to check the legal requirements of the country you plan to get married in too. Many specialist operators will handle all the paperwork for you, but it goes without saying that you should ensure you have completed all the relevant processes and procedures required by the country you have chosen for your wedding well before the big day.

With the wide range of wedding packages abroad on offer, it’s hard to decide where to go, so here are some great beach destinations for wedding holidays to get you started:

Beach wedding

Tobago: Tobago is your classic desert island, and was possibly the inspiration for Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. With its gentle, laid-back vibe, Tobago is perfect for those seeking a quieter wedding location. Beach weddings are available across the island, so you can choose the view that ‘speaks’ to you.

Thailand: You’ll be spoiled for choice for white sandy beaches in Thailand. All the major tourist resorts, including KohSamui and Phuket, can provide packages for you and your guests. You can choose from traditional weddings or mix in some of the rituals of Buddhism, and be blessed by Buddhist monks as you take your vows.

Australia: If you want to combine your beach wedding with all the advantages of a city break, Sydney offers it all. You can take advantage of the laid-back Aussie lifestyle and enjoy the golden beaches at the same time. Other popular Australian destinations include the beaches along the Gold Coast – or head up to the Whitsunday Islands and make your vows on Whitehaven beach – arguably one of the most beautiful beaches in the world, and accessible only by sea or air.

South Africa: Depending on what you want from a beach wedding, you can choose from Cape Town’s Atlantic coast, with sandy beaches and Table Mountain as a backdrop, or head further up the coast to East London, with the warmer waters of the Indian Ocean with equally beautiful beaches. There are pros and cons to both: Cape Town’s beaches are more easily accessible, but can be busy with holidaymakers and can be windy. The sea temperatures here are also a few degrees lower than the Indian Ocean.

USA: The beaches of California are legendary, and Southern California boasts some real beauties. Couples can pledge their troths with the sand between their toes, and even cram in a trip to Disney World! Laguna, Huntington, Newport beaches are popular choices, but you’re bound to find one that works for you. Other noteworthy US beach wedding destinations include Hawaii, Florida.

My thanks for this sponsored post, written by Belinda Weber, to luxury holidays specialist Thomson Tailormade.

Photo credits: Beach wedding by LizSullivan, beach kiss by masochismtango

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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My 16 year old daughter recently returned from a school trip during which the group of teenagers did some treking in Nepal, spent time on a community project at a local school in the mountains and finally visited the Chitwan region where the group went crocodile spotting by canoe and got close to a rhino and her baby on an elephant safari. Here’s Sophie-Anne’s story…

To end our journey in Nepal we headed down near the Indian border to the Chitwan region. Chitwan is very tourist friendly, and as we personally discovered, there are lot of nice hotels there to cater for the tourist demand. The first settlers in the region were the Tarau people and within the village we were welcomed to look inside their traditional mud huts with straw roofs.

Canoe trip in Chitwan, Nepal

Like all cultures, the Tarau have traditions such as dancing or their distinctive tattoos and have managed to preserve this successfully. In Chitwan there is lots on offer to do, and we managed to fit in quite enough to exhaust any teenager, child or adult! We started our day in the canoe on the river, spotting crocodiles amongst other wildlife. It is exactly how I imagine Pocahontus’  (from the Disney film) daily life feeling like!

Elephants in the river in Chitwan, Nepal

After we had battled with the canoe in the quest to get out without falling in (trickier than you’d imagine) we began to trek through the jungle. Unfortunately our familiar friend the rain cloud had appeared and what was supposedly jungle felt more like a swamp.

Elephant safari in Chitwan, Nepal

Finally we emerged sodden out of the jungle to find ourseleves now at an elephant breeding ground. I suppose you can imagine how excited a group of girl teenagers were at the sight of baby elephant, but in our defence they are very very very cute. There was also a visitors centre filled with lots of interesting information about the elephants working lives, how they were trained and so on.

Elephant safari in Chitwan, Nepal

There was also a visitors center filled with lots of interesting information about the elephants working lifes, how they were trained and so on. After lunch, we finally got to ride the elephants! Four people were allocated to each elephant and we sat in a basket type area on the elephant’s back. During the safari we saw a rhino and her baby, deer and lots of other interesting creatures.

Rhino with baby in Chitwan, Nepal

I hate to admit it but I must confess despite it being an amazing choice of travel for the Nepalese it is not the smoothest. It is almost like being swayed side to side very slowly whilst trying to dodge branches up ahead!

 Read about Sophie-Anne’s other adventures

My daughter’s teenage trek in Nepal
My daughter’s community project in the mountains of Nepal

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www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Nepal – school trip photoset

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My 16 year old daughter, Sophie-Anne has just returned from a school trip to Nepal and in this second article she talks about the community work that her group did in a local school and her impressions of the children and local people that she met.

During our trip we had organised a community project, which would prove to be an amazing experience and culture shock. Upon arrival we were all giving a red mark on our head and a flower garland made by the villagers, despite the villagers’ stares (they had rarely seen westerners) we were made welcome immediately.

Sophie-Anne with a child from the school in Nepal

We were told the villagers were very upset that the electricity would not work, assuming we would be annoyed. This of course was not the case and despite the occasional girly scream when a leech was found, we all settled in happily to our tents. Our sherpas woke us up in the morning with a cup of tea and bowl of hot water each, which at the time felt like considerable luxury!

Camping beside the School in Nepal

We soon got to work building a much-needed fence for the school and everyone, no matter how feeble and weak, got stuck in to the job. For a group of female teenagers building a fence, swing set and steps is a hard job and everyone in the group realised why builders have so many tea breaks.

Parents at the school in Nepal

We also got a chance to interact with the children, it is amazing how simple it is to form a bond despite the language barrier between us. At first the children were shy but soon they became increasingly lively, absorbing all the activities we had arranged for them.

Children trying the ipod in Nepal

Trying on the Raybans in Nepal

They all seemed fascinated with our cameras, ipods and even the balloons we brought for them. I specifically remember one boy looking at some bubbles like Christmas had come early, and then spending the rest of the day in hysterics popping all the bubbles that was humanly possible.

Children playing with balloons in Nepal

One evening the villagers arranged a traditional evening where they sang and danced for us, it was wonderful to see a glimpse of their culture. Everyone got up and danced, although its safe to say our Bollywood style dance moves needed a little work.

Despite the huge culture difference (us in walking boots and them in flip flops for example) we were able to really connect with all of the villagers, finding things we had in common like dancing or singing.

This is best summed up by when we all heard Justin Bieber’s ‘baby’ playing somehow somewhere in the village. We all went back to our tents that night forgetting about the rain and leeches to ponder whether even Justin knew his songs had reached a remote area in the Himalayas.

Read about the other parts of Sophie-Anne’s trip

My teenage daughter’s trek in Nepal
My daughter’s elephant safari in Nepal

Other adventures in India and Nepal

 Exploring the ‘Abode of Snow’ in the Indian Himalayas
My Indian Sponsor Child
Kolkata in India – City of Joy

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Nepal – school trip photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com - Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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In this guest post, Adam Costa suggests five trails to hike in the Yosemite National Park that will allow you to experience the wilderness beyond the crowded Yosemite Valley.

An important decision awaited me…

Two jobs in the world-famous Yosemite National Park had been offered. The first resided in the hustling and bustling Yosemite Valley; the second in the untouched high-country of Tuolumne Meadows. Like the poet Robert Frost, I opted for the road less traveled and it changed my life.

Cathedral Peak from the start of the trail in Tuolumne Meadows, Yosemite National Park

Yosemite, elected a World Heritage Site in 1984, is unquestionably one of the most breathtaking parks in the world. However, the Valley’s beauty draws over four million visitors a year, giving it heaping crowds of tourists, long lines, and an ‘amusement-park’ quality.

But this turns out to be a good thing. Most visitors never venture outside Yosemite Valley, which leaves most of the 761,268 acres unspoilt. For those looking to hike and soak up the great outdoors beyond the Valley, here are my top five best hikes:

Keep in mind, Yosemite’s elevation ranges from 2,127 to 13,114 feet. Elevation sickness generally occurs at 8,000 feet is a common problem among visitors who don’t acclimate properly. If you feel fatigued, light-headed, or nauseated, descend immediately.

Middle Sunrise Lake, Yosemite National Park

Sunrise Lakes

Distance: 6.4 miles (10.3 km) round trip to first lake; 8.8 miles (14 km) round-trip for all three.
Duration: 4 – 6 hours.

The trail starts at Tenaya Lake. Stop there to enjoy the spectacular scenery and beauty of the lake. Hike up alongside the granite boulders and bright green grasslands until you reach the trio of Sunrise Lakes. Here you’ll find a sweet sense of solitude and charm. From here you can either connect to Cathedral Lake (more on that in a minute) or hike 29 miles down into Yosemite Valley – with a difficult two mile side hike to Half Dome.

Impressive scenery near Tioga Pass, Yosemite National Park

Ireland Lake

Distance: 11.4 miles from Tuolumne Meadows.
Duration: 5 – 7 hours.

If you’re looking for a lake to enjoy all to yourself, head to Ireland Lake. It’s a great spot to unwind in complete solitude with only the granite peaks and alpine meadows to keep you company. It’s a bit of a leg burner with the first four miles heading straight up to Vogelsang. The trail then levels off, with a few up and downs, until you reach Ireland Lake. Camp at Vogalsang before returning to Tuolumne or hike back down the same trail.

John Muir Trail and Potter Point from Lyell Canyon in late summer in Yosemite National Park

Lyell Canyon

Distance: From 1.4 miles (2.2 km) to 24 miles (38 km) round trip; final destination (if you go that far) is the Donahue pass, a challenging multi-day trek.
Duration: Varies depending on distance; minimum of 45 minutes.

The Lyell Canyon hike is perfect for anyone who wants an easy hike with the same beauty you’d get on a challenging one. The hike starts at the Tuolumne Meadow Lodge with a quick half-mile walk down to the river.

Cross the river over Twin bridges and enjoy the whirlpools created from the large granite boulders in the water. Head east on an easy trail towards the Donahue pass. Bring your swimsuit if you want to jump in one of the many swimming holes along the way. The water is quite chilly but refreshing. If you get tired, head back at any point, or continue on the multi-day hike to Donahue pass.

Cathedral Peak, Yosemite National Park

Cathedral Lakes

Distance: 7 miles (11.2 km) round-trip to either Upper or Lower Cathedral Lakes; 8 miles (12.8 km) round-trip for both.
Duration: 3 – 5 hours.

Located a 35-40 minute drive from Yosemite Valley directly off Tioga Road are the Cathedral Lakes. They are part of the famous John Muir Trail (who led the petition for the U.S. to pass the National Park Bill in 1899, which established Yosemite and Sequoia National Parks).

After the second mile into the hike, you can either head towards upper Cathedral Lake or lower Cathedral Lake, both offering stunning scenery.

Upper Cathedral is a tougher hike and leads to a smaller lake with less people. A moderate hike will lead you to the bigger Lower Cathedral lake. If you’re looking for a multi-day trek, connect Upper Cathedral with Sunrise High Sierra Camp.

Glen Aulin, Yosemite National Park

Glen Aulin

Distance: 13 miles (21 km) to Glen Aulin High Sierra Camp.
Duration: 5 -7 hours.

The Glen Aulin hike is unique in that is starts off with a descent and ascends for the return. Start at the Tuolumne Meadow Lodge and follow a slow, winding river downhill. Around the tree mile mark, the river turns into a series of waterfalls. Stop for the night in Glen Aulin (you can rent a cabin or set up your own tent) and continue into Yosemite’s Grand Canyon the following day. Or return back to Tuolumne Meadow Lodge.

There are many things to see and trails to hike in the wilderness beyond the Yosemite Valley. Happy trekking!

About the Author: Adam Costa is a travel writer and author Business In A Backpack. He is the managing editor of Italy Bike Tours, which provides information on cycling in Italy.

Photo credits: Cathedral Peak and Tioga Pass by Alaskan Dude, Middle Sunrise Lake by Comrogues, Lyell Canyon by MiguelVieira, Cathedral lakes by chucklepix (Steve), Glen Aulin by Jim Bahn

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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My 16 year old daughter, Sophie-Anne has just returned from a school trip to Nepal where she spent two weeks trekking, doing community work in a local school and finally visiting a nature reserve where she rode on elephants to spot rhino and other wildlife. Here she gives her impressions of the trek through the foothills of the Annapurna Range braving leeches and monsoon rain.

Trekking in Nepal

The town of Pokhara in Nepal is famed as a starting point for many brave adventurous hikers, so some may have been surprised to find a group of 20 teenage girls clad in newly bought hiking gear, with no mobiles in sight, ready to start the day.

Although some faces were slightly worried looking around at the impressive scenery the Himalayas has to offer I would say there was a general appetite for adventure among the group.  As the day went on the sun crawled out behind its cloud and everyone soon felt the heat; refuge was found in the scarcest bits of shade from towering greenery and in cool clear mountain streams.

In times of intense heat everyone, even the most vain of teenagers turned desperate; the khaki hats made an appearance and the hair was scraped back. We soon discovered what leeches looked like and even though they were a lot smaller than we had imagined, we all remained tense and quiet as we waited for the first victim.

Despite the heat and temptation to literally bathe in the paddy fields, everyone admired the amazing landscape. All of the locals we met passing through villages were heartwarmingly friendly and all quick to spread a smile. All along the trek there are lodges that are tourist friendly, and at the end of each trekking day we stayed in one of these lodges. The lodges are all quite similar in style, all being basic and comfortable with a similar menu and helpful staff.

Rice paddies in Nepal

After a peaceful night in one of these lodges we woke to pouring rain, we went in Monsoon season and I had expected this decision would haunt us sooner or later. It was the worst rain I have ever seen and I live in England! Everyone was tired but being surrounded by friends and a group made an unbeatable support system, during the day each individual had to adapt to cope with the situations. I can tell you that walking uphill through monsoon rain being completely soaked to the skin is a world away from the normal daily life we all had at home.

Trekking lodge in Nepal

However, we did manage to bring some of home to Nepal by all singing in unison popular chart songs. We all decided that ‘man I feel like a woman’ by Shania Twain (let’s go girls) was the theme tune for the whole trip.  There were many relieved faces when at the end of the day the lodge was in sight, and although there was no way to post the thought on Facebook, we all felt like we had achieved something.

Treking in Nepal

On our third day, the weather finally calmed down after we had experienced both extremes of weather. We were really able to stop and appreciate the view, the nature, the waterfalls and all the mesmerizing things there were to see.

Team trek in Nepal

A highlight and a most extraordinary sight was when we saw a small Nepalese man carrying his wife in a basket that was being supported solely by his head. The phrase we had recently discovered to explain all the strange things we saw was used again ‘only in Nepal.’

Read about the next part of Sophie-Anne’s trip to Nepal

My daughter’s community project in the mountains of Nepal
My daughter’s elephant safari in Chitwan, Nepal

Other adventures in India and Nepal

 Exploring the ‘Abode of Snow’ in the Indian Himalayas
My Indian Sponsor Child
Kolkata in India – City of Joy

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Nepal – school trip photoset

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com - Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

You’ll also find our sister blog with tips on how to build a successful travel blog at My Blogging Journey

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I’d never been to Egypt until my visit in May to see a friend, my only other experience of the Arab world being Lebanon a couple of years before. Inevitably I had a few preconceptions about Egypt, but things were not quite as I expected…

Faded grandeur or crumbling away?

If Alexandria would like to style itself as a Meditteranean tourist destination, there may be an uphill struggle with many of the buildings appearing to be crumbling away before your very eyes. This isn’t faded grandeaur, this is genuine dust and decay. The road runs along the seafront corniche and if anywhere this would normally be place for beautiful old buildings to be renovated to make the most of the sea view and the promenade. But even here, the buildings are pretty scruffy.

Crumbling houses in Alexandria

I was told that the reason behind the crumbling buildings was that an Egyptian law passed some years ago fixed the rents of many apartment buildings and these low rents can now be passed down from generation to generation, This means that faced with minimal income from their properties and with no means to raise rents to market levels, the landlords spend no money on their buildings, leaving them to crumble away for lack of repair.

Cover yourself, Ladies

I had an image of Egypt as being one of the more stable and liberal of the Arab world and I thought that this might translate to their dress codes.  After visiting Beirut where uncovered heads for women seem almost the norm I guess I was expecting something similar in Egypt. Not so, as the norm for Muslim women, even those that are not terribly religious, to cover their heads with a scarf. If you see a lady in Alexandria without a headscarf, chances are that she’s a Christian or foreign. I’m told that this has been a change over the last few years and where once young women would have their heads uncovered, they are now submitting to peer pressure and covering up.

It was fun to see however that teenagers were still finding their own style, pushing the scarfs back to show their hair or wearing them somewhat gypsy style and in brighter colours than their mothers. It was also interesting that the young also often wear western fashions such as strappy tops with jeans, it’s just they wear them with a long sleeved high necked T-shirt underneath. In Alexandria it’s probably fine for tourists to wear a short sleeved t-shirt as long as it covers your shoulders and cleavage, but in more conservative rural areas, you’ll want to cover your arms to the elbow and legs below the knees.

Cafe in Alexandria

Fresh fish and seafood in Alexandria

Being on the Meditteranean coast, there is a plentiful supply of fish in Alexandria and there are many restaurants renowned for their seafood. The Alexandrians pride themselves on being able to choose the freshest fish and in a fish resturant you’ll find a refrigerated counter where the fish is laid out on ice. Take your time to make your choice, then the fish is weighed and you are charged according to the weight.

Fresh fish in a restaurant

The fish is normally cooked quite plainly without sauces, your main choice being whether you’d like it grilled or fried. On my last night in Alexandria I enjoyed a seafood meal at the Greek club at the end of the harbour wall near the lighthouse. The whole building was once a private club but now the top floor restaurant is run separately and anyone can go there to eat. You get a view over the harbour and the sailing club next door and can choose to eat inside or on the terrace overlooking the sea.

Fish in a restaurant in Egypt

The Alexandria library is modern not ancient

Having heard about the library at Alexandria, a wonder of the ancient world, I assumed that there would be some remains to see, but nothing at all is left . So when people speak about the library, they mean the Biblioteca Alexandrina, the modern library complex which was was completed in 2002 near the site of the ancient library. The Biblioteca houses art galleries, museums and exhibition spaces as well as a number of libraries on different levels. After visiting the desert oasis at Siwa I had hoped to visit the library but unfortunately we ran out of time so I never made it there.

Biblioteca Alexandrina

Alexandria is Mediterranean rather than Oriental

I haven’t been to the south of Egypt or to the Nile delta but I’m told that the feeling in Alexandria is quite different, with a Meditteranean outlook. Until many were forced to leave in the late 50s by President Nasser’s anti-European policies, there was a thriving European community of Greeks and Italians and you can still wander around the old Greek and Italian quarters. The climate is more temperate too and when I visited in May it was pleasantly warm in the day with a sea breeze and cool enough for a cardigan at night.

In the back streets of Alexandria

Friendly people and no hassle

I had this preconception of Egypt as a place where you can barely move without someone trying to sell you something whether it be a camel ride or fake antiquity. The hassle factor was the one thing that kept Egypt at the bottom of my wish list to visit. But things are very different in Alexandria to the tourist traps around Cairo and Luxor. In Alexandria there are barely any tourists and so life goes on as normal around you with everyone I met being friendly and welcoming. Of course I was with local friends and I might well have experienced more hassle had I been an single woman wandering around alone, but I left with a feeling of Egypt as a much more relaxed and hassle free place than I had imagined.

Check prices and book hotels in Alexandria through Hotels Combined

More Egyptian stories

My trip to Alexandria and Siwa with My Vacation iPhone app
What makes the perfect holiday in Marsa Matrouh
More than the pyramids – a grand tour of Egypt’s museums

www.flickr.com heatheronhertravels’ Egypt – Alexandria photoset

Photo credit: Alexandria Library by Moreno

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Looking for things to do in Singapore? In this article about the island resort of Sentosa you’ll find something to keep the whole family happy, whether you’re a history buff,  thrill-seeker, beach lover or want to try the tastes of Asia

“Singapore very boring, nowhere to go!”

Okay, so Aaron wants to do this, Bob don’t want, Clara don’t mind, but Diana went before!

Sounds familiar? It’s the holidays and it’s time to have fun with friends, but it’s not so easy to coordinate different preferences, budgets and still have a lot of fun.

Fort Siloso Cannon on Sentosa

Luckily on the resort island of Sentosa, I found my remedy in Sentosa’s Play Pass. This play pass allows us to visit 13 different, amazing, exciting attractions for just one price! Sentosa isn’t just about sun tanning or playing beach games. You’ll be surprised to see how much you can actually do there with the Play Pass. Let me show you;

For the history buffs

If you find yourself the only one awake in class during history lessons, you’ll love Fort Siloso and Images of Singapore. Relive Singapore’s journey from colony to nation and immerse yourself in rich Asian cultures and experience how life was like then. With life size wax figures, old tunnels and original guns, cannons, film clips and photographs from yesteryear, history truly comes to life.

For the thrill-seekers:

Luge ride and Skyride at Sentosa

Now the real fun begins! Pretend you’re an F1 driver in Southeast Asia’s first ever Luge ride! Zoom your way down the tracks and challenge your friends in this exhilarating go-cart experience! After the excitement, take a breather and enjoy the horizon view from the Skyride. Did I mention, it’s unlimited times on the skyrides with the Play Pass!

If you prefer cinematic animation, then Cineblast, Desperados and Sentosa 4D Magix is for you. Get ready to be tossed around in your seats, feel the wind in your hair and let the water rush pass you in this magical interactive movie experience! It’s almost like you’re IN the movie!

For the dare-devils:

Wavehouse at Sentosa

Not enough excitement and now you’re craving for more adrenaline? Step up and ride the waves in Wavehouse! Singapore’s first flow-barrels let you show off your wave-riding skills (and your hot bod) in a laidback environment. Now you don’t have to go to Florida to be a surfer, Flowrider comes to you. If you’re worried about being a newbie, there are trained (and hot!) professional instructors to teach you. Besides, falling down is half the fun actually! Oh, and don’t forget, no sharks to bite you here!
*Available only in Premium Play Pass.

Up in the Air

If you don’t like water much, then challenge your limit with the Flying Trapeze! Soar through the heights like Tarzan and let out a jungle cry if you want to. If flying around like a bird isn’t challenging enough for you, then using concentration, strength, co-ordination and timing to do it will be.

Flying trapeze at Sentosa, Singapore

For those with a lush palete

Tastes of Singapore at Sentosa

Head to Taste of Singapore for Singapore’s signature dishes. Eat until shiok at this buffet style café, choose from Asian, Western or… both! Beef kwayteow, pasta Napoli, laksa, biryani all you can eat and all in one place! Of course, true to Singapore’s style, there are two outlets (Siloso and Imbiah) so no one goes home hungry. This All-You-Can-Eat pass is only $19.90 (U.P. $25.00) with a purchase of the Day Play Pass.

The best part about all these activities is that it’s really affordable.
1. Day Play Pass: 13 attractions for a price of $63.90 (U.P. $161)
2. Noon Play Pass: 4 attractions for a price of $37.90 (U.P. $67)
3. Premium Play Pass: 13 + 3 attractions for a price of $65.90 (U.P. $97)
MORE IT’S 60% OFF!

If this isn’t the Great Singapore Sale spirit, I don’t know what is. That’s 16 attractions for $65.90, is a mere $4 per attraction. So grab your friends and family for an unforgettable day.

If you are a history buff, a lush palete, a thrill-seeker, or a dare-devil, Sentosa Play Pass is the best for you!

My thanks for this sponsored post to  Sentosa Play Pass.

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Zimbabwe in Africa, home to the world’s largest waterfall, had long been on my seemingly endless list of places to visit and last year I finally managed to persuade a group of friends to come with me for an action packed, adrenaline fuelled ten days starting in Victoria Falls and ending our trip in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital.

The Victoria falls in Zimbabwe

There are plenty of ways to see the spectacular Victoria Falls but as an active twenty two year old who is always keen for a challenge I decided to book a bungee jump off the Victoria Falls Bridge which straddles Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Marvelling at the view of the waterfalls I couldn’t help but feel a little bit sick as I looked down 111 metres below me. This was to be my first bungee jump (and hopefully not my last!).Thankfully my jump went smoothly and words can’t quite describe just how it felt to free fall over one of the natural wonders of the world.

The National Park really does offer something for everyone and after bungee jumping we gave ourselves a bit of time to unwind on a sunset cruise along the Zambezi River. This gave us a chance to relax with a three course meal and wine whilst seeing hippos and elephants in their natural habitat.

The hunt in Zimbabwe: A zebra chased by a lion

Having seen the animals from afar we were keen for the chance to get a bit closer to them and booked ourselves an elephant back safari for one day. As a group of animal lovers this experience was ideal for us as it meant that we got the chance to interact with the elephants, helping feed and wash them whilst taking in the beautiful scenery around us – looking out for the rest of the big five on the way: that’s the lion, the Cape buffalo, the leopard and the rhinoceros to you and myself (the fifth being the elephant!).

Stay at the Victoria Falls Safari Lodge in Zimbabwe

After such active days it always felt good getting back to our base for our stay, the beautiful Victoria Falls Safari Lodge. Due to its proximity to a local waterhole we were lucky enough to see animals coming up to drink from the comfort of our room or from one of the hotel’s three restaurants. Having never sampled African cuisine, or more specifically Zimbabwean cuisine I was keen to taste some African dishes at ‘The Boma’ restaurant which means ‘the place of eating.’ Our dining experience here gave us an incredible insight into life in Zimbabwe as we took part in a hand washing ceremony before sampling the cuisine.

See the Lions of Zimbabwe

Feeling adventurous I tucked into some potjiekos (a traditional hunters stew) and followed that with some  mopane worm in peanut butter! Although not what I’m accustomed to eating at home back in the great British Isles, both dishes were unique and were actually very tasty. After our meal we were invited to join a Sangoma, a traditional story teller where we were able to learn even more about the Zimbabwean culture and heritage.

Zambezi river mana pools

Having seen as much as we could in Victoria Falls we ventured east towards Harare. Harare is a Shona word meaning ‘one who does not sleep’ however this didn’t seem to be the case in Harare… Although a hustling and bustling city by day, at night the city is far sleepier with a laid back vibe and most bars close at 11pm. We spent a couple of days exploring the city, visiting the Parliament, the art gallery and indulging in a spot of retail therapy. We spent a particularly enjoyable evening at the Victoria 22 restaurant followed by a few drinks at one of Harare’s bars.

Zambezi sunset in Zimbawe

All in all Zimbabwe offered us the perfect getaway – lots of adventure, lots of culture, fabulous food and unparalleled scenery. Without a shadow of a doubt we will definitely return….

My thanks for this sponsored post to Mydestinationinfo.com for Zimbawe, your comprehensive guide to all things Zimbawe, written by travel writer Sophie Fraser

This article is originally published at Heatheronhertravels.com – Read more travel articles at Travel Blog Home

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